Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that the sacraments are not instituted by God alone. For those things which God has instituted are delivered to us in Holy Scripture. But in the sacraments certain things are done which are nowhere mentioned in Holy Scripture; for instance, the chrism with which men are confirmed, the oil with which priests are anointed, and many others, both words and actions, which we employ in the sacraments. Therefore the sacraments were not instituted by God alone.

Objection 2: Further, a sacrament is a kind of sign. Now sensible things have their own natural signification. Nor can it be said that God takes pleasure in certain significations and not in others; because He approves of all that He made. Moreover, it seems to be peculiar to the demons to be enticed to something by means of signs; for Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xxi): "The demons are enticed . . . by means of creatures, which were created not by them but by God, by various means of attraction according to their various natures, not as an animal is enticed by food, but as a spirit is drawn by a sign." It seems, therefore, that there is no need for the sacraments to be instituted by God.

Objection 3: Further, the apostles were God's vicegerents on earth: hence the Apostle says (2 Cor. 2:10): "For what I have pardoned, if I have pardoned anything, for your sakes have I done it in the person of Christ," i.e. as though Christ Himself had pardoned. Therefore it seems that the apostles and their successors can institute new sacraments.

On the contrary, The institutor of anything is he who gives it strength and power: as in the case of those who institute laws. But the power of a sacrament is from God alone, as we have shown above (Article 1; Question 62, Article 1). Therefore God alone can institute a sacrament.

I answer that, As appears from what has been said above (Article 1; Question 62, Article 1), the sacraments are instrumental causes of spiritual effects. Now an instrument has its power from the principal agent. But an agent in respect of a sacrament is twofold; viz. he who institutes the sacraments, and he who makes use of the sacrament instituted, by applying it for the production of the effect. Now the power of a sacrament cannot be from him who makes use of the sacrament: because he works but as a minister. Consequently, it follows that the power of the sacrament is from the institutor of the sacrament. Since, therefore, the power of the sacrament is from God alone, it follows that God alone can institute the sacraments.

Reply to Objection 1: Human institutions observed in the sacraments are not essential to the sacrament; but belong to the solemnity which is added to the sacraments in order to arouse devotion and reverence in the recipients. But those things that are essential to the sacrament, are instituted by Christ Himself, Who is God and man. And though they are not all handed down by the Scriptures, yet the Church holds them from the intimate tradition of the apostles, according to the saying of the Apostle (1 Cor. 11:34): "The rest I will set in order when I come."

Reply to Objection 2: From their very nature sensible things have a certain aptitude for the signifying of spiritual effects: but this aptitude is fixed by the Divine institution to some special signification. This is what Hugh of St. Victor means by saying (De Sacram. i) that "a sacrament owes its signification to its institution." Yet God chooses certain things rather than others for sacramental signification, not as though His choice were restricted to them, but in order that their signification be more suitable to them.

Reply to Objection 3: The apostles and their successors are God's vicars in governing the Church which is built on faith and the sacraments of faith. Wherefore, just as they may not institute another Church, so neither may they deliver another faith, nor institute other sacraments: on the contrary, the Church is said to be built up with the sacraments "which flowed from the side of Christ while hanging on the Cross."

Articulus 2

Argumentum 1

Ad secundum sic proceditur. Videtur quod sacramenta non sint solum ex institutione divina. Ea enim quae sunt divinitus instituta, traduntur nobis in sacra Scriptura. Sed quaedam aguntur in sacramentis de quibus nulla fit mentio in sacra Scriptura, puta de chrismate quo homines confirmantur, et de oleo quo sacerdotes inunguntur, et de multis aliis, tam verbis quam factis, quibus utimur in sacramentis.

Non ergo sacramenta sunt solum ex institutione divina.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, sacramenta sunt quaedam signa. Res autem sensibiles naturaliter quaedam significant. Nec potest dici quod deus quibusdam significationibus delectetur, et non aliis, quia ipse omnia quae fecit approbat. Hoc autem proprium videtur esse Daemonum, ut quibusdam signis ad aliquid alliciantur, dicit enim Augustinus, XXI de CIV. Dei, illiciuntur Daemones per creaturas, quas non ipsi, sed deus condidit, delectabilibus pro sua diversitate diversis, non ut animalia cibis, sed ut spiritus signis.

Non ergo videtur quod sacramenta indigeant esse ex institutione divina.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, apostoli vicem dei gesserunt in terris, unde apostolus dicit, II Cor. II, nam et ego quod donavi, si quid donavi, propter vos in persona christi, idest, ac si ipse christus donasset. Sic ergo videtur quod apostoli, et eorum successores, possint nova sacramenta instituere.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod ille instituit aliquid qui dat ei robur et virtutem, sicut patet de institutoribus legum. Sed virtus sacramenti est a solo deo, ut ex dictis patet.

Ergo solus deus potest instituere sacramentum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut ex supra dictis patet, sacramenta instrumentaliter operantur ad spirituales effectus.

Instrumentum autem habet virtutem a principali agente. Agens autem respectu sacramenti est duplex, scilicet instituens sacramentum; et utens sacramento instituto, applicando scilicet ipsum ad inducendum effectum. Virtus autem sacramenti non potest esse ab eo qui utitur sacramento, quia non operatur nisi per modum ministerii. Unde relinquitur quod virtus sacramenti sit ab eo qui instituit sacramentum.

Cum igitur virtus sacramenti sit a solo deo, consequens est quod solus deus sit sacramentorum institutor.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod illa quae aguntur in sacramentis per homines instituta, non sunt de necessitate sacramenti, sed ad quandam solemnitatem, quae adhibetur sacramentis ad excitandam devotionem et reverentiam in his qui sacramenta suscipiunt.

Ea vero quae sunt de necessitate sacramenti, sunt ab ipso christo instituta, qui est deus et homo. Et licet non omnia sint tradita in Scripturis, habet tamen ea ecclesia ex familiari apostolorum traditione, sicut apostolus dicit, I Cor. XI, cetera cum venero disponam.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod res sensibiles aptitudinem quandam habent ad significandum spirituales effectus ex sui natura, sed ista aptitudo determinatur ad specialem significationem ex institutione divina.

Et hoc est quod Hugo de sancto victore dicit, quod sacramentum ex institutione significat.

Praeelegit tamen deus quasdam res aliis ad significationes sacramentales, non quia ad eas contrahatur eius affectus, sed ut sit convenientior significatio.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod apostoli, et eorum successores, sunt vicarii dei quantum ad regimen ecclesiae institutae per fidem et fidei sacramenta. Unde, sicut non licet eis constituere aliam ecclesiam, ita non licet eis tradere aliam fidem, neque instituere alia sacramenta, sed per sacramenta quae de latere christi pendentis in cruce fluxerunt, dicitur esse fabricata ecclesia christi.